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Jim Leyland to be Honored as Special Guest November 11 at the Fox Theater

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Recently retired Tigers manager Jim Leyland will be honored on stage as a special guest of "Detroit Legacies In Black and White", hosted by International best-selling author Mitch Albom and civil rights icon Judge Damon J. Keith, at the Fox Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Monday, November 11.

Leyland, who guided the Tigers to two World Series, will join in an on-stage conversation about his career, and be presented with a special video tribute highlighting his enormous success in baseball. Fans hoping to show their appreciation to Leyland will be welcomed at the event, which raises money for Detroit charities through SAY Detroit and The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

The event will celebrate how people of all backgrounds and races work together,, and will benefit the lives of Detroit's most needy. The current star-studded roster includes Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, comedian Tim Meadows ("Saturday Night Live") Motown legends The Four Tops, Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, Tigers great Willie Horton, R&B Recording Artist KEM, former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, and many others. Albom and Keith will also discuss their storied careers and their upcoming new books.

All those who attend will receive a signed commemorative copy of Albom's highly-anticipated novel, The First Phone Call From Heaven, which is set in Michigan and hits stores November 12. Keith will preview his long-awaited biography, Crusader For Justice, also due out in November, and will regale the crowd with more than seven decades of stories that involve everyone from A-list entertainers to U.S. presidents to revered leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

Tickets are on sale now and are $40 for general admission and $150 for inclusion in a VIP meet and greet reception prior to the event. Student Tickets are also available for $25, and can only be picked up at the box offices. Tickets may be purchased at OlympiaEntertainment.com, The Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge), and at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call 1-800-745-3000. Groups of 10 or more will receive $5 off per ticket by calling (313) 471-3099.

Mitch Albom is a best-selling author, nationally-syndicated columnist, radio host, network television commentator, playwright, and screenwriter. His 11 books, several of which have debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list, have collectively sold 35 million copies in 42 languages worldwide and several have been made into Emmy Award-winning and critically-acclaimed movies. Albom has won more than 100 writing awards, including the Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement presented by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2010. In 2013, he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Albom has founded seven charities in and around Detroit, including the first ever 24-hour medical clinic for homeless children in America.

Hon. Damon J. Keith was born in Detroit and has served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit since 1977. Prior to his appointment there, Judge Keith served as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is a graduate of West Virginia State College (B.A. 1943), Howard University Law School (J.D. 1949) (where he was Chief Justice of the Court of Peers), and Wayne State University Law School (LL.M. 1956).
As a member of the federal judiciary, Judge Keith has consistently stood as a courageous defender of the constitutional and civil rights of all people, and his decisions have helped shape the law as we know it today. His biography, Crusader for Justice, will be published this November with a special foreword by Albom.

S.A.Y. DETROIT is a multi-pronged charity founded by Albom and designed to improve the lives of Detroit's neediest citizens. Since 2006, it has raised and distributed more than $2 million for the homeless, the working poor, veterans, and gifted but financially- challenged students. In 2008, it opened the nation's first medical clinic for homeless children.

THE DAMON J. KEITH CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS opened in October 2011. Located at the Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, the Keith Center honors the life and legacy of Judge Keith by carrying out his vision for civil rights. The Keith Center advances learning, attracts talented faculty, students and lecturers, enhances programming, and promotes civil rights in one of the most culturally rich and diverse cities in the United States. The Keith Center has active programs on legal studies and promotes community involvement.